School Board Petition

School Board Petition: Bring back the Middle School Arts, Health, and PE Credit Requirement

To: Members of the Utah State Board of EducationFrom: Utah Cultural Alliance, Utah Education Association, Utah Music Teachers Association, and the following signers

We are parents, voters, and Utahns who care about the success of our state’s children. We know that a well-rounded education is vital to their future.

As your constituents, we ask you to reverse your August 4th decision to remove the Middle School credit requirement for health, arts, physical education, college and career awareness, world languages, and digital literacy.

The benefits to children of a well-rounded education that includes arts, health, and PE education are many:

Improved performance and grades in reading, math, writing, and other subjects. (2)

Increased creative thinking and problem solving. (3)

Increased positive attitudes towards school and learning. (4)

Less aggression and violent tendencies. (5)

Improved cognitive ability. (6)

Improved community cohesion. (7)

Improved graduation rates. (8)

Improved motor skills and self-discipline. (9)

Improved social interaction. (10)

Improved mental health and dietary choices. (11)

Eliminating the credit requirement for arts, health, physical education, college and career awareness, world languages, and digital literacy suggests that state standards and oversight for these vital programs could disappear. These are subject areas that are proven to close the school achievement gap. Lack of standards and oversight prevents fair and equitable services statewide, and puts at risk our State’s commitment to ensure that a healthy and productive generation is ready to lead our future.

We thank the six board members who voted against this change: Janet Cannon, Brittney Cummins, Jennifer Graviet, Carol Barlow-Lear, Kathleen Riebe, and Spencer Stokes.

Utah is a wonderful place to live, work, and raise families. We believe that our state public education system should be a light to the rest of America and the world. When policy changes occur that negatively affect children’s education -- such as this credit change -- our state educational system suffers, and our children suffer. We ask you to reverse your August 4th decision.

Sincerely,

The board and staff of the Utah Cultural Alliance, Utah Education Association, Utah Music Teachers Association, and the undersigned.

A study (http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/champions/pdfs/Learning.pdf) of more than 2,000 middle-school students by researchers at Columbia University found that students who had participated in at least three years of in-school arts instruction scored significantly higher on an instrument measuring creative thinking and that these students self- reported much higher rates of positive attitudes towards school and learning than did their peers who had experienced less arts education.

Alan LaFleur, I think it is criminal to auction off artworks for sports. The arts already suffer from administrations because of athletic needs. I am not against athletics, but so much is already invested in their programs, while the arts have to keep scrabbling to keep their programs going-often having to fight with administrators for things that sports programs receive without question. I am ashamed that any district in our state would even consider something like this!

My fondest wish for this wonderful art work is that it REMAIN IN CACHECOUNTY, in the hands of someone who will care for it and make it available for the public to view. The art work currently is in the hands of Frank Schofield who sees nothing but dollar signs when it comes to the art collection. He and his co-conspirators should turn the art work over to USU or other responsible institution, at no charge, where the artwork will receive proper care and be displayed for the public to enjoy. (Sorry, Schofield, there goes your big pay raise!) Nick Nielsen

The sell of art to enhance the arts would make more sense, but to take a precious piece of art and fund athletics seems a misuse of resources, a lack of support in incorporating value and interest in the arts. We need to educate our youth in the value of arts in our community culture. Sports are wonderful! Art is wonderful!

As a mother, as a writer, I can’t emphasize enough the impact of the arts in the lives of our society. For some children, school is the first place where they’re introduced to them. Why take away this opportunity? Why deprive of our children of the one thing that makes America really great?

Music and art helps children become more well rounded and creative students. With the obesity problem, in the U.S., children need daily exercise which keeps them fit and introduces them active participation in sports. Health class teaches students about there bodies and how to keep them healthy.

Elizabeth Weight: When I was growing up in Utah, music and art education in schools was an element of state pride. Utahns educated the “whole child,” and, as a result, Utah is noted for its talent and its attendance rates at art events of all types. When people learn about and have guided practice in any art form, they understand, appreciate, and value that art, regardless of their individual talent or pursuits. Lives are enriched and economies are stronger with community events around performance and visual arts, even in our smallest communities. Art is part of our Utah culture, specifically and intentionally established throughout our history.

However, the arguments around “return on investment” and the immeasurable character qualities that are part of our state identity are not the only reason for supporting music and arts to the degree we have traditionally. Studies have shown and continue to portray the degree and manner in which our students learn more and better when art education is part of their school experience. Human brains function differently and develop natural learning abilities that influence learning in other content areas. It turns out that requirements to learn about and practice any art form creates a more able society in all other areas of learning, as well as building community.

Removing requirements in the areas prescribed in the August 4 decision may seem beneficial for some students’ focus in areas of their choice, but it will result in damage to learning, community, and even economic development. I urge the reversal of the decision.

Children NEED the arts. They understand academic better when they have arts training. It is essential to their understanding of relationships between subjects and their details. Arts help their spacial reasoning which impacts their mathematical reasoning abilities. The arts teach children to problem solve and make the most of a mistake. PE helps children’s brains function better. The health and other subjects are important too. Children need a well rounded education.

In reality, most parents do not formally discuss with their children the topics taught in health class. Some parents are not qualified to talk on such subjects either. Please leave this vital role to the educators within our state to give accurate information to our public school students.